Japan’s Takaichi rolls dice on snap election, betting her popularity can save scandal-hit LDP
The PM stakes her future on a February 8 vote, but one expert warns her support may not save a ruling party dogged by funding scandals
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Takaichi confirmed she would dissolve the House of Representatives on Friday – the opening day of the parliamentary session – paving the way for a nationwide vote on February 8.
“I will put my post on the line and seek the voters’ judgment on whether I should remain Japan’s prime minister,” Takaichi said, with official campaigning set to begin on January 27.
The election – the first since Takaichi took office on October 21 – comes less than a year and a half after the previous lower house contest in October 2024.
While the nation’s first female leader rides a wave of public support, analysts warn this gamble may backfire as voters distinguish between her fresh brand and the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) scandals.
According to Masato Kamikubo, a professor at the Graduate School of Policy Science at Ritsumeikan University, the prime minister’s individual popularity does not necessarily translate into a guaranteed victory for a ruling party still reeling from historic losses.